


No strings attached

by Quickhidetherum



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Coworkers - Freeform, F/M, Friends With Benefits, No Strings Attached
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-07-22 19:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19981345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickhidetherum/pseuds/Quickhidetherum
Summary: Things were never supposed to be serious between them. It was fun, that was all it was ever supposed to be. But...things like this never work out exactly as planned.





	1. Strange Love

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Strange Love
> 
> Major rewrite of an old fic. At least five chapters to come. No alpha or beta. I own nothing recognisable except the fic.
> 
> Song for this chapter is "Strange Love," by Halsey

x-x

Draco hated how much she could piss him off. Every morning without fail she came in, ruining his mood and today was no different. She had slammed the door and stepped into the room, tutting at her newspaper.

He sighed heavily and glowered up at Hermione, leaning back against his chair. "Granger, seriously?"

Hermione, placed her paper down and sighed heavily, meeting his eyes.

"Problem?" she asked, setting his coffee down in front of him. Draco picked up the coffee and tilted his head to the side.

"You do this every bloody morning! Reading a paper written by a girl you can't stand just so that you can scoff at her writing. It gives me a headache," he muttered.

Hermione rolled her eyes and flopped down in the seat beside him.

"And you complain about it every morning. Mr Malfoy, I do think we've found ourselves a routine," she said smugly. Smugness didn't suit her. Not one bit. He tore his eyes away from her mouth. "So Luna happily informed me that this year is a leap year," Draco commented.

Hermione raised her eyebrows and nodded. "That it is,"

Draco pursed his lips. "What is she up to?"

Hermione picked up her pen and raised her eyebrow. "Oh yeah, because _I_ will tell you that," she said.

Draco rolled his eyes and scowled at her. "Come on Granger, Blaise is desperate to find out what she's planning on their trip,"

Hermione gave him a knowing smirk and tapped the tip of her nose. _She was bloody infuriating._

x-x

Hermione hated it. The way he insisted on holding every door open for her. _Like she needed him._ She let out a sigh and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Malfoy, I am perfectly capable of opening doors for myself," she hissed. Draco raised his eyebrows and turned to face her, glancing pointedly at the stack of books in her hands.

"Yeah, you're right. It isn't like your hands are completely full," he sneered. Hermione ground her teeth together and glared at him.

" I don't need your help!" She snapped. Draco nodded and smiled at her.

"You got it Granger," he said, letting go of the door which closed and immediately collided with Hermione.

"Draco Malfoy you complete arse!" she snapped, storming in after him. She balanced the books on one arm, struggling with the door as she shoved it open.

Draco smirked and rested against the wall in the hallway. "Yeah, looks like you don't need any help at all,"

Hermione ground her teeth together and glared at him. _He would be the death of her._

x-x

"Granger, open the fucking door!" Draco snapped, rattling the door for the fifth time. He ran a hand through his hair and scowled. He lifted his hand to rattle the door again and it opened, revealing Hermione who was staring at him, eyebrows arched.

"You're late!" he hissed. Hermione rolled her eyes and stared at him.

" _Please_. You are always five minutes early," she said, dismissively, taking the files from his hand as they walked towards the office.

Draco ran a hand through his hair and pursed his lips.

"We just need to make sure we make this deal Granger, it could bring a whole new clientele for the company,". Hermione turned to face him and placed a hand over her heart, feigning shock.

" _Really_? Well, thank you for that astute observation Draco," she sneered as they stepped into the building. Draco glared at the back of her hair and forced his professional features onto his face as he lead Hermione into the office. _They could do this. They had done this hundreds of times before. They just had to cooperate._

Draco pursed his lips and turned to face Hermione his eyes blazing.

She rolled her eyes and looked at him.

"Oh come on! You can't seriously still be annoyed that I corrected her when she thought we were dating,"

Draco pursed his lips and shook his head. "No...it was more the way you did it. Hysterical laughter followed by ' _no, no! God no!'_ Three no's Granger!" he said, running his tongue over his teeth and scowling at her. Hermione covered her mouth and let out another laugh.

"I couldn't help it! It is hilarious. As if we would ever work," she said. Draco furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her.

"I'm pretty sure people said that about Blaise and Luna in the beginning," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to face him.

"What, like it is some sort of big deal? Come on. We still got the deal," she said, waving her hand dismissively. Draco narrowed his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," He muttered. Hermione sighed and looked at him.

" _What_ is your problem?" she asked. Draco narrowed his eyes and turned to face her.

"You are! You had the audacity to laugh because someone thought that you might be with me. _Heaven forbid_ that Saint Granger would lower herself to the likes of me," he sneered, storming out of the office, letting the door rattle behind him.

x-x

Hermione ground her teeth together and tried to avoid smashing the champagne glass in her hand as she watched Draco flirt shamelessly with one of their new clients. She cleared her throat and forced a smile when the client looked at her.

"These are the contracts. You might want to take a look at the information in section three and seven," she said. The woman waved her hand and shook her head.

"There's no need. I've already signed. Draco has covered everything I need to know," she said, turning back to Draco and leaning towards him. Hermione rolled her eyes and look a large gulp of her champagne. Her eyes flickered to Draco's and she clenched her jaw at the smirk covering his face. _That little bastard_. It was official. He was trying to piss her off. She could tell by the smarmy smirk on his face. She clenched the champagne flute, trying to ignore the simpering girl next to him. She narrowed her eyes when a perfectly manicured hand wrapped itself around Draco's bicep.

Xxx

Hermione ran a hand through her hair and unbuttoned her coat, throwing it across her chair.

"I can't believe you, you know," she muttered, turning to scowl at Draco.

He turned to face her and raised his eyebrows. "Really? Why is that?" Hermione scowled and looked at him.

" _Flirting_ with the clientele? Talk about cheap tactics," she sneered.

Draco's eyebrows raised into his hairline and he stared at Hermione. "That is rich coming from you! The other day with the Michaelson deal! Flirting is a technique. It gets us results," he said, shaking his head and staring at her.

Hermione stared at him aghast. "I did no such thing!"

Draco laughed and shook his head.

"Sure you did. What I want to know is why it is such a big deal to you," he said smugly.

Hermione leaned back against her desk and glanced to the side, avoiding his eyes.

Draco laughed and nodded.. "I _knew_ it,"

Hermione screwed up her face and met his eyes. "Knew what exactly?"

Draco took a step towards her and smirked.

"That you _like_ me," he whispered, placing his hands on either side of her. Hermione licked her lips and stared up at him, she could feel his breath against her collarbone. It took everything for her not to melt into his arms. Draco moved his mouth closer, his lips brushing the base of her neck. _She was on fire_. Part of her wanted to shove him away and the other wanted to drag him against her. There was a knock at the door that spurred her into action. She pushed Draco away, righting herself. Draco ran a hand through his hair turning towards the door. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her.

"Don't think that this is over Granger. I'll see you at the party," he said, winking at her over his shoulder before disappearing from the room. Hermione let out a sigh, steadying herself against the desk.

x-x

Her hands were shaking. She couldn't stand it. She actually felt _nervous_. Because of Draco Malfoy. She took a deep breath and smoothed down the dress. _Purple_. She tried to tell herself that it had nothing to do with his ridiculous tie. Even though it matched it perfectly. She glanced at the clock and sighed. Harry and Ron would be here any minute to pick her up. She smoothed down her hair and sighed. It had taken her hours to get her hair up. She pursed her lips and headed to the doorway, trying to still the butterflies in her stomach. She opened the door and smiled at her best friends, trying not to tear up at how smart they looked. Ron grinned and nodded in the direction of the stairs.

"The girls are meeting us at the engagement party. I still can't believe Luna was the one to propose," he said, shaking his head. Hermione laughed and stared at him.

"You can't? It's Luna. Plus, a leap year is the luckiest time for a woman to propose. You know how she is about luck," she said, smiling fondly. Ron laughed and nodded.

"Yeah. I still can't get over the fact that she is engaged to Zabini though. I never thought I would have seen the day," Harry joked. Hermione laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, he's changed though. Luna tames him. Makes him a better person...and you just know that their wedding is going to be the most extravagant thing we have ever seen," she said, laughing as they stepped into the car. She was thankful that the boys had agreed to take muggle transport. It had taken far too long to get ready and she didn't want to waste her outfit before she had even gotten to the party. When they walked in her eyes immediately found Draco's and she had to force herself to look away. She made her way over to Luna and Blaise, giving them both a kiss and handing over their present. Luna opened the small box and felt her eyes welling up at the gift inside. She glanced at Hermione who smiled.

"It belonged to my Grandmother. I figured it could be your something old," she said softly, pressing a kiss to Luna's cheek and smiling. Luna grinned and nodded.

"I love it. It's a good luck Charm. Heather," she said, rubbing her hand over the broach. Hermione smiled and headed over to the bar and took a glass of champagne.

"Your hair looks ridiculous like that," Draco muttered, staring at the back of her neck. Hermione clenched her jaw and turned to face him.

"Gee, thank you," she said sarcastically. Draco smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Harder to fantasise about pulling it when it's all tied up," he whispered, before smirking and heading towards The middle of the room. Hermione stared after him and clenched her teeth. _The nerve._

Hermione grabbed her champagne and made her way over to the crowd. Blaise cleared his throat and stood in the middle of the room. She tried not to notice when Draco moved next to her.

"Guys, Luna and I have an announcement. As you all know we have been planning our big day," he said, wrapping his arm around Luna's waist and smiling at her. Luna smiled and glanced out at the crowd.

"Hermione, I would be so grateful if you would be my maid of honour," Luna said, grinning at Hermione who nodded.

"I'd be honoured to be there for you on your special day," she said, smiling. Luna grinned and glanced at Blaise who laughed and turned towards Draco.

"Do I even need to ask?" He asked, smirking at Draco who shook his head.

"Of course not mate," he said, winking at Blaise who grinned.

Draco leaned forward, close enough to whisper in Hermione's ear.

"There will be plenty of opportunities to find something to bend you over to finish off what we started the other day," he whispered. She let out a gasp of surprise and turned to face him, throwing her drink in his face. Draco closed his eyes and wiped the champagne off of his face. He opened his eyes and glowered at her, before dragging her towards the pantry. He pushed her inside and shut the door behind them.

"What the fuck Granger...champagne in my face? What didn't think a punch would get the message across? I get it, I'll leave you alone from now on," he muttered, unbuttoning his shirt and sighing at the wet patches all over it. Hermione watched him, his fingers making quick work of his buttons. She swallowed a lump in her throat and tried not to think about his words. She ran her eyes down his chest and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared at him. Draco exhaled heavily and looked up at her.

"What you aren't even going to talk to me now Granger real mat-," his voice cut off when Hermione stepped towards him, placing her palm on his chest. He cleared his throat and met her eyes. Hermione licked her lower lip and took a step towards him, closing the gap between them and pressing her lips against his. The kiss was nothing, barely testing the waters. But it was enough to make her heart race.

"This doesn't mean anything, you know that, right?" She asked, pushing his shirt off of his shoulder and pressing a sloppy kiss against his chest. Draco nodded and pulled her against his chest.

"Got it," he whispered, tangling his hand in her hair and pulling out the ridiculous hair grips. Hermione let out a growl when her hair tumbled over her shoulders.

"That took me hours," she hissed, finding a spot on his neck to sink her teeth into. Draco let out a groan and tangled his hand in her hair.

"You shouldn't have bothered. I like it down," he whispered, letting his hands run down her frame. She scoffed and turned to face him.

"What makes you think I care what you like?" She asked, raising her eyebrow. Draco laughed and gripped her hips, stroking the silky material of her dress.

"If you didn't you wouldn't have worn purple. You _know_ how much I love it," he whispered. Hermione closed her eyes and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. _True_. Draco moved his hand to the nape of her neck and pulled her towards him. Hermione pressed her lips against his, pushing his back against the counter behind him. Draco laughed and shook his head, glancing down at her and biting his lower lip.

"You look much hotter like this," he murmured, his hand trailing down the side of her neck. Hermione raised her eyebrows and glanced at him.

"Are you going to keep talking or are you actually going to make a move?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking at Draco. Her eyes were filled with that same challenging glint he had seen a thousand times before. He took a step forward and grabbed her by the waist, crushing his lips against hers. Hermione let out a gasp and brought her hands up to grip his shoulders. Draco smirked against her lips and shook his head.

"What are you doing Granger?" he asked. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed his belt buckle.

" _Stop_ talking," she murmured. Draco closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Granger, you're killing me," he muttered. He stepped forward and grabbed her thighs, hooking them over his waist. Hermione shivered and leaned forward, covering his mouth with her own. Their lips moved together as Draco walked them towards the counter, stopping when Hermione's back hit the counter. She let out a gasp and put hands on either side of his face, pulling him closer. Draco slid his hand under the hem of Hermione's dress and his eyes flicked up to meet hers. She flushed and cleared her throat. Draco smirked and glanced at her. She tugged him towards her and chewed the bottom of her lip.

"This doesn't leave this room," she muttered. Draco smirked and pulled her down onto his lap.

"You're sure?" He whispered, trailing kisses down her neck. Hermione closed her eyes and nodded. Draco gripped her hips and pulled her against him, his hand slipping to the base of her back. Hermione arched against him. He tangled his hands in her hair and let out a groan, walking them towards the wall. Their mouths moved against each other sloppily and Draco rested his head against the wall behind her. He braced one of his hands against the wall above Hermione's head. Hermione moved her hands to his shoulders to steady herself before pushing herself down and making the both of them groan. Draco's head fell into the crook of her neck and he pressed an open mouthed kiss against her collarbone.

"Fuck Granger," he muttered, gripping her hair as their hips moved together. Hermione let out a gasp and dug her nails into his shoulders.

"Oh God," She whispered, closing her eyes. Draco smirked and trailed kisses down her neck.

"Didn't peg you as the religious type," he teased. Hermione growled.

"Shut...up," she whispered. Draco laughed and shook his head.

" Make me," he whispered. Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed his cheeks, pressing her mouth against his.

"I... told...you...to...shut...up," She whispered, kissing him between each word.

Draco closed his eyes. "Whatever you say love. Anything you want,"

Hermione closed her eyes and tried to ignore the way her body reacted to the one little word. She pressed her lips against his in a searing kiss. His hands tightened in her hair and their moves became sloppy and erratic. She closed her eyes and could vaguely remember crying out his name. Draco smirked and ran his thumb over her jawline.

"Draco is it?" He whispered, running his hands through her hair. Hermione closed her eyes and tried to stop the blush from creeping up.

"You were amazing love," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead before stepping back. He glanced at Hermione and sighed when she avoided his eyes.

"Granger-," he began. Hermione glanced up and adjusted her dress, she picked up her wand and cleared her throat.

"I meant what I said...this doesn't leave the room," she said softly. Draco raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Yeah. Okay. I don't feel cheap at all," he muttered under his breath. Hermione picked up his shirt and cast a spell before handing it back to him.

"I'll follow you out in a few minutes," she said softly. Draco glanced at her and grabbed her arm.

"Hey, what we did...it was alright ...I mean _we_...we're good aren't we?" He asked. The corners of Hermione's lips twitched and she looked at Draco.

"It was great. We're good," she whispered. She picked up her hair grips and began working on it in the reflection from a cabinet. Draco sighed and made his way out of the pantry and over to the bar. _He was stupid. So stupid. To think that she would actually want anything more. It was ridiculous._

Hermione sighed and smoothed her hair down as best she could. It was still down and ridiculously curly but she had at least managed to get rid of the sex hair. Or she had _thought_ she had. Until she ran into Ginny who was smirking at her as soon as she walked into the hallway.

"My, my, my. I don't think I've ever seen you look so...content," Ginny said smugly, brushing her hair over her shoulder and eying her best friend. Hermione gave Ginny a sharp look and stared out into the room.

"I don't know what you mean," she snapped. Ginny raised her eyebrows and looked at her.

"So how was it? Everybody wants to know. Where did you do it, on the floor? The counter? A sink?" She asked. Hermione forced the annoyance off her face and turned to face Ginny.

"I have no idea of what you are talking about," she said, giving Ginny a look that demanded she drop it. Ginny scoffed and turned to gesture at Hermione.

"You're going to try and deny that you were shagging Draco?" She asked incredulously. Hermione schooled a look of innocence onto her face and glanced at Ginny.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said sharply. Ginny scoffed and glared at her best friend.

"Please. The sexual tension between you two could be cut with a knife. You're standing here with your hair all tousled... Then he comes out looking like a puppy that's just been kicked to the kerb. It's funny you know; the power you hold over him. He usually walks around the place like some sort of God. But now he's...sulking. It's pathetic," she commented. Hermione's eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Draco. He was already looking back at her and he grinned, making her stomach flip. Hermione cleared her throat and tried to ignore the effect his grin had on her. She turned away in time to see Ginny smirking at her.

"Nothing happened!" Hermione insisted making Ginny scoff.

"I'm your best friend! You shouldn't lie to me," Ginny said pointedly. Hermione clenched her teeth.

"Ginny. It's none of your business. Nothing happened! And if it did who cares? . I don't have to tell you _anything_ " She snapped. Ginny laughed and turned to face Hermione.

"Yeah, nothing happened. _Whatever_ you say,"Ginny sang, grabbing a glass of champagne before turning to smirk at Hermione, giving a pointed look at Draco before turning back to Hermione and grinning widely.

"Whatever you say,"


	2. Dirty little secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An: The song for this chapter is dirty little secret. There is more angst to come but this is still dramione endgame.

She still had a way of pissing him off. Even months into their... _relationship_ , if you could even call it that, she didn't need to try to piss him off. It was like a special talent. All she had to do was say one thing and his temper flared. Of course, tonight's argument was nothing new. The same argument that they'd been having almost every night since Blaise's engagement.

"Stay," the word was one that Hermione was all too used to hearing. She sighed, pulling on her underwear and turning to face him.

"You know I can't Draco," she said, her voice soft. She leaned off of the bed grabbing her jeans.

"You can. You just _won't,_ " Draco muttered. He reached for her hand. "Come on Granger, _stay_ ,"

Hermione pursed her lips, pulling her hand away from his. "It's a rule Draco," Draco smirked, pushing himself onto his elbows. "Rules are there to break, Granger," he said, his voice smug. Hermione bit her lip, her eyes roaming over his body. Her eyes landed on the sheet draped over his waist. She closed her eyes _. It was so tempting_ .

She cleared her throat, pulling on her jacket and glancing at him. "Draco. We aren't dating. We shouldn't act like it. It only complicates things. I'm going home,". Her gaze was sharp, expectant. He _always_ walked her to the door. _Always_.

"Suit yourself Granger. You can see yourself out," he muttered. He sighed falling back against the pillows and staring up at the ceiling. Hermione blinked in surprise. _He wasn't going to walk her out? But, it was part of their routine._

"Are you serious?" She asked. Draco nodded his head and Hermione scowled.

"You're being so childish," she snapped. Draco gave her a haughty look. "We aren't dating, so why act like it. Right?" Hermione ground her teeth together and stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door behind her. She huffed, disapparating with a loud _pop_. Draco stared after her, sighing and running his hands over her side of the bed.

x-x-x

Draco pursed his lips, staring at himself in the mirror. He had hardly slept last night and it showed. His eyes had bags under them and his usually perfect hair was sticking up at the back. He exhaled, trying to flatten his hair. He leaned back against the wall, watching as the numbers climbed towards their floor.

He glanced at Michaelson and arched an eyebrow. "Is there a reason you're staring at me?" he snapped, a little harder that he had meant.

The man blinked in response and gestured at his hand. "What is that?" He stared in fascination at the bull on the can.

Draco followed his gaze and scowled.

"A muggle energy drink," he muttered, taking a large sip. Michaelson made a noise that sounded like a snort. Draco narrowed his eyes and scowled to himself. It wasn't his fault that they were so damn addictive. He exited the lift and made his way into the office. He had gotten to work way ahead of schedule. He had arrived early to do some work on a new contract. He couldn't help the nervous feeling that settled over his stomach when he thought about her. He was never quite sure how she would react after a fight with him. Their last fight had only been a few weeks ago. He could remember it. Clear as day; he had said she wasn't going to stay over. Draco pointed out that she was at his all the time anyway and she didn't take it well. ...that fight made her avoid him _and_ his house for two weeks. He rolled his shoulders and settled down at his desk, beginning to work on his proposal. It was a little over an hour before Hermione had come through the door. One cup of coffee in her hand. Draco closed his eyes and nodded. So it was _that_ type of fight.

Hermione gave him a sour look and sat at her own desk. "I was going to get you a coffee. But, then I thought to myself, we aren't friends...so why act like it,"

Draco chewed on the corner of his lip to stop himself retorting back to her. He took a large sip of red bull and continued working on the proposal.

Hermione watched him and took off the lid of her coffee. "I'm not coming over tonight," she said, her voice sharp. Draco shrugged and turned to face her.

"Can you search this for mistakes?" He handed her the contract before turning back to his own desk.

Hermione watched him out of the corner of her eyes and tried not to scowl. No reaction? Usually he said _something_ to try and coax her into coming over and right now he wasn't even looking at her! Hermione grit her teeth. He was the one who was unreasonable last night. So why the hell did she feel like she was in the dog house? She grabbed the contract from his hand and pulled out her red pen. She scanned the contract; searching for mistakes. There had to be something that she could tear apart to get some sort of a reaction from him. But, it was perfect.

She ran a hand through her hair and nodded. "Everything is fine. Do you want me to fax this to the Hartridges?"

Draco nodded and ran a hand through his hair, scowling in frustration at his computer. The company had recently mixed the wizarding and muggle technology and it made life a lot easier. But yet, some things still threw certain wizards off. For Draco, it was emails. Hermione stood up, snatching the file from the desk and making her way to the door.

She paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at him.

"You're being petty today Malfoy,"

Draco's shoulders sagged and he met her eyes. " _Me?_ " he asked, staring at her his gaze blank.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, you. Silent treatment? What are we? Four?"

Draco tilted his head to the side and stared at her. "I'm not getting into this argument with you.". He ran a hand through his hair, bringing his fingers down hard on his keyboard. Hermione pursed her lips and stared at him.

"Yes, you are," she snapped, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him. Draco sighed and glanced at her. "I can't keep playing this hot and cold game,". He met her eyes and cleared his throat.

"We want different things. We keep having the same fight that ends the same way every time...and I can't keep doing it Granger. I won't keep doing it,"

Hermione opened her mouth and started to object but Draco kept talking.

"I _like_ intimacy Granger. I like cuddling after sex and if you aren't willing to have that sort of relationship. Then...I can't keep doing this." he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I know that you don't want a relationship, neither do I. But, I want you to treat me like a person. Not just a late night booty call,"

Hermione blinked and stared at Draco in surprise. She opened her mouth and tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out. She cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair.

"What are you saying?" she said, her voice filled with caution.

Draco glanced at her over the top of the computer screen. "I'm saying that maybe it's time we stopped this," he ran a hand over his face. Hermione closed her eyes, leaving the room without another word. Draco arched his eyebrows and shook his head. _Fucking typical_

x-x-x

Draco took a sip of his tea, lounging against his headboards as he read the article in front of him. Stock markets seemed to imply that their company was doing well. He sighed and turned to the first page, glancing at the article on Blaise and Luna. Their wedding preparations had been witch weekly's main focus for weeks. He glanced up when he heard a familiar 'pop' He glanced up in surprise.

Hermione cleared her throat and held up the bag in her hands. "Is it too late for a sleepover?" she asked, her voice betraying just how self-conscious she was feeling.

Draco sat up, putting the magazine down on the bedside table. "Granger, what are you doing?" he glanced at the bag in her hand in confusion.

Hermione chewed her lip. "I thought about what you said. I... I'm not saying that I can jump straight into the intimacy side of things. But...I'm not ready to give this up. So...I'm willing to try; if you'll still have me,"

Draco stood up, stalking towards her.

"You're sure?" he whispered, taking the bag from her and holding it out in front of them both. Hermione nodded and Draco placed the bag on the chair behind him. Hermione bit her lip and pushed her hair behind her ear.

Draco pulled her against him and smirked, pressing his lips against her neck, his breath a whisper against her "Why are you so nervous?"

Hermione cleared her throat. "This isn't something I've ever done,"

Draco smirked pressing an open mouth kiss against her neck. "Relax love," his voice was soft and it made the hairs on her neck rise. She dropped her head back, letting out a small gasp. Draco pulled her legs around his waist. Hermione dug her hands into his shoulders. "I'm sorry for how I acted," she pressed her lips against his. "I hate when we fight,"

Draco laughed, placing a hand on the small of her back. "No you don't. You love when we fight,"

He laid her down on the bed and hovered over her. Hermione licked her lips and stared up at him.

"Are you just going to smirk at me all night?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him. Draco smiled and shook his head.

"I can't help it. Hermione Granger is in my bed with no plans of leaving while I sleep? I have every right to feel smug," he said, running his hands up her legs. Hermione flushed, turning her cheek to the side and staring out of the window. Draco kissed her collarbone and smiled.

"I love your blush," he muttered, sliding his hand up her stomach. Hermione smiled and met his gaze.

"You're sure you're going to stay?" he asked, skimming her hips.

Hermione exhaled, propping herself up on her elbows. "Draco Malfoy. Are you going to stop talking and kiss me?"

Draco shook his head. "You're so bloody demanding," he said, leaning down to capture her mouth in a kiss. Hermione let out a small gasp, bringing her hands up to cup his face. Draco smirked, pushing her jumper over her head.

"This jumper is so hideous," he snickered, throwing it into the corner. Hermione let out a huff that was cut off when his lips pressed against the valley between her breasts.

" _Oh,"_ the gasp was almost inaudible. Draco moved down her stomach, placing kisses as he went. Hermione raked her hands through his hair and tugged him towards her. Draco slid back up her, pressing kisses up her body. Hermione let out a growl of frustration, pushing him onto his back and throwing her leg over his waist. Draco chewed on his lower lip and stared up at her. Hermione placed her hands on his chest and sat up.

"You're wearing too much," she protested. Draco rolled his eyes, running his tongue over his bottom lip.

"You are incorrigible Granger," he breathed. Hermione smirked, helping him slide his boxers off. Draco smirked, placing his hands on the bar behind him and glancing up at her.

Hermione bit her lip, glancing down at him. "You're amazing," She ran her eyes over him before placing her hands over his chest. She leaned towards him, pressing her lips against his. Draco shut his eyes and lay his head bag against the pillow. Hermione pressed her lips against his, letting out a groan when Draco's hand tangled in her hair.

"I'm sorry for how I acted, you know that right?" she whispered, pressing against him.

Draco nodded. "I'm sorry too, love,". Hermione arched into him.

"I even brought a toothbrush to leave here," she whispered, positioning herself over him.

Draco cupped her cheek, pressing his lips against hers. "Is it pathetic that the thought makes me horny?" he whispered. Hermione laughed, bringing herself down on top of him. Her eyes sprang open and she let out a small ' _oh_ ,'. Draco threw his head back, hissing back a breath between his teeth, Hermione grabbed his hands, holding them above his head. Draco clenched his jaw when Hermione began to move against him.

"Fuck, that's so good love, " he moaned, gripping her hips.

Hermione's hips twitched. "Draco," she moaned, sinking her teeth into his collarbone. Draco let out a sharp hiss, sitting up and pulling her against him.

"Fuck, _love_ , you feel so good," he whispered.

Hermione groaned, pulling him against her."I could do this forever,"

Draco clasped his hand around hers, locking his eyes onto hers. He gave her a lazy smile, letting his head fall back against the pillow behind him as Hermione thrust against him.

x-x-x **2 months Later** x-x-x

Hermione groaned, sitting up and slapping Draco. "Draco, we're late! Get up," she sprung out of bed, grabbing for her socks. She opened the curtains, cursing when the light hit her eyes. Draco groaned, sitting up and looking around.

Hermione sighed and turned to face him. "Draco. You look adorable. But, can you please get up and get ready. WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE,"

Draco sighed heavily, pulling himself out of bed. "I don't see why we are going in so early,"

Hermione sighed and passed him his belt. "We left early yesterday and we have to make up the time somewhere," Draco grabbed her hand, tugging her back towards the bed. "So we'll stay late tonight," he suggested, glancing back towards the bed.

Hermione laughed, swatting his hand away. "No _we won't_ It will roll around to four o' clock and you'll convince me that we should leave early," she predicted, her eyes glinting in amusement.

Draco laughed and nodded as he finished getting ready. "I would,"

Hermione laughed and handed him a can of red bull. "You really need to find a new addiction Draco. These things are a fortune,"

Draco scowled and grabbed the can. "It's your fault!"

Xxx

Draco exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair and staring at the door. Hermione had left to go get them lunch and still hadn't come back...and he was fucking starving! He focussed on the emails in front of him and sighed. He glanced up when the door opened and scowled.

"About time! I'm starving!" he muttered. His eyes widened and he stared at the two...visitors accompanying Hermione.

"Look who has decided to join us," she said brightly, gesturing at Harry and Ginny. Ginny smiled, flopping into the seat on the other side of his desk.

"Hey Draco. We brought Chinese!" she said. Draco smiled and opened his mouth ready to talk to her when he caught Harry staring at him.

Draco cleared his throat and furrowed his eyebrows. "What is it Potter?"

Harry let out a guffaw of laughter and clutched his stomach. "You...glasses...ridiculous," he blurted. Draco flushed, pulling off his glasses, and throwing them into the drawer beneath his desk.

"Oh Harry, leave him alone! I think he looks quite handsome with them on!" Ginny said, smiling at Draco who rolled his eyes and glanced at Hermione who bit her lip and raised her eyebrows at Draco. Draco took his meal from Ginny and opened it, grinning at Hermione when he spotted his meal. Harry leaned across Hermione's table and quirked an eyebrow.

"Don't you find it odd how well my wife and my ex nemesis get on?" he asked loudly, causing Ginny and Draco to roll their eyes and continue their conversation. Hermione laughed and stared at Harry. "I think I find it stranger that Ronald gets on with him,"

Harry laughed and nodded. "True. I hope you guys don't mind us coming here for lunch. Hagrid has Ruby and Lily for lunch and we're kind of lost without them. Pathetic really," he said, smiling at Draco and Hermione.

Draco's eyebrows twitched and Hermione could practically feel him biting his tongue. " _Draco_ ," she said, her tone filled with warning. She could sense the words _oaf_ dangling on the end of his tongue.

Draco held up his hands in defence. "I didn't say a thing,"

Hermione and Ginny both narrowed their eyes. "Stop thinking it then!" they both snapped.

Draco smirked and gnawed on the bottom of his lip. "Okay, okay. Sheesh,". Hermione leaned across his table, shoving him and shaking her head in exasperation.

"We really need to go on a double date soon guys. I'll need to see if my mum can watch the kids but we should arrange something. It's been so long since we've had a decent night out with another couple," Ginny said absentmindedly as she picked at her salad. Harry sucked in a breath through his teeth and gave his wife a sharp look...it wasn't like their relationship was common knowledge. In fact, he was pretty certain that it was supposed to be a secret. He glanced at Draco and Hermione who had both frozen in their seats.

"No...we're not. We're not together. You've got it all wrong," Hermione said sharply, giving Ginny a pointed look. Ginny blinked at her abrupt tone and glanced at Draco who had pursed his lips and was staring stonily out the window.

Ginny arched an eyebrow at Hermione and stood up. "That's funny. I wasn't aware you and I lied to each other," she seethed, grabbing her bag before storming out.

Harry sighed softly and stood up, glancing at Draco and Hermione. "It was good to see you both again," he said, before taking after his wife.

Hermione shook her head, turning to Draco and raising an eyebrow. "Can you believe the nerve of her?" Hermione grumbled, closing over her lunch dish.

She noticed the set of Draco's jaw and her heart sank. She licked her lower lip and stared at him. "Draco, what is it?"

Draco stood up, shoving the lunch containers in bin before turning to look at her, hurt written across his face. "Are you really so ashamed of me that you won't even tell your best friends? Who, by the way, have clearly noticed."

Hermione shook her head and looked at him. "Draco. We've already been over this. We can't tell anyone about this," she said, before returning to the work in front of her.

Draco shook his head. "That wasn't telling someone. Ginny _knows_ Granger and Potter hardly looked surprised. Did you really have to deny it so vehemently?"

"I thought we were both fine with our arrangement," she said, staring at him cautiously.

"Well _obviously_ I'm not! I never wanted to be your dirty little secret" Draco growled.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, and tried to ignore the feeling in her gut. "Why is it so important to you that people know Draco?"

Draco clenched his jaw and turned to face her. "You already know why," Hermione opened her mouth and shook his head. "I don-," she began.

Draco exhaled and turned to face her. "Stop pretending that you didn't hear me that night. We both know you did," he snapped.

Hermione shook her head furiously and raised her hands "Don't. _Don't you dare_ " she snapped.

Draco shook his head and stared at her.

"Why not? It's true! _I love you_. I want to let everyone know it I love you Hermione,"

Hermione's heart clenched and she shook her head. "Why did you say that? God Draco you've ruined everything!" she hissed. She stepped back and shook her head. "We're done. I can't. I told you I couldn't do this!" She stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

Draco stared at the door, his hands shaking. He'd said it. He had finally said it...and this time she couldn't pretend she hadn't heard him. He didn't know which reaction hurt more. When he'd whispered it to her and she had pretended she hadn't heard him...or now. He couldn't believe how she had reacted. Was it too much to ask for to ask her to be open with her friends? Clearly, for her, it was. Draco grabbed a pinch of floo powder and muttered the name of the only person he knew he could talk to without fear of judgement. He stepped out of the fireplace and cleared his throat, alerting his friend of his arrival. Daphne let out a shriek, moving to cover herself from his view. Draco averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry...I'll leave," he muttered. Pansy stood up, adjusting her dress.

"Draco Malfoy, don't you move another inch. Daph, I'll be back in a few minutes' okay?" she asked softly before turning to face her best friend and gesturing into the hall.

"Sex in the library, really?" he asked. Pansy laughed and stared at him.

"Please, like Granger has never had you do it in your library," she teased. Draco flinched and Pansy paused, her hand grabbing his arm.

"Draco, are you alright?" she asked, her voice tentative. Draco gnawed his lip and stared at his feet.

"I told her I love her," he whispered, sliding down the wall behind him. Pansy followed suit and stared at him.

"I assume it didn't go well?" she questioned. Draco shook his head, the tears spilling from his eyes.

"She's called it off," he muttered, running his hands through his hair and staring at Pansy who clenched her jaw, moving beside him. She wrapped her hand around his shoulder.

"Tell me everything," she whispered.


	3. Dancing on my own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I am trying to rewrite this and complete it as fast as I can. I promise that I am not going to leave the story like this and please don't hate me for what I am about to do here! I promise this is Dramione endgame- they just have a few things to go through first.
> 
> The song rec for this chapter is "Dancing on my Own," by Robyn

Hermione scowled, rolling her shoulders as she walked towards the office building. She had slept horribly for the past two weeks...and she had the infuriating suspicion that it was because she hadn't been spending time with Draco.

"Well, you look like shit," A voice said brightly. Hermione scowled, turning to face the voice. Her scowl only deepened when she saw Pansy.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Pansy smiled, tapping a fingernail against her chin in thought. "The pleasure of seeing you have a shitty day is enough for me,"

Hermione clenched her fists, taking a step towards her. "What the hell is your problem Parkinson?"

Pansy ran her eyes over Hermione, a snide look on her face. "To put it simply; _you_ ,"

Hermione rubbed her temple and raised her eyebrows. "What have I done now?" she asked, she was so bloody tired. Pansy let out a bitter laugh and shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, you know, broke my best friends heart. Nothing big," Pansy said, waving her hand dismissively.

Hermione stopped in her tracks, whirling to face Pansy, her eyes flaring. "Excuse me?" she growled.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "You heard me. Now, for some reason Draco is in love with you...and you stomped all over his heart. So forgive if I take immense pleasure in you having a shitty day," Pansy said smugly.

Hermione moved to step away from her and Pansy stepped into her path.

"I won't let it happen again, Granger. I won't stand by and watch you treat him like a fool," she said, her voice low. Hermione tugged her arm out of Pansy's and shook her head. Pansy glared after the girl as she walked away and turned on her heel, heading back into the coffee shop.

Draco arched his eyebrows. "You were supposed to meet me ten minutes ago!" Pansy laughed and ran a hand through her hair.

"You know me, always running late," she said, sitting down and smiling at him. Draco shook his head and glanced at her.

"So, how is Daphne?" he asked. Pansy blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Daphne? Oh, honey. I really need to keep you in the loop. The latest flavour is a French girl who works as a model in my firm," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. Draco scoffed and arched an eyebrow.

"A French girl. What doesn't she have a name?" he asked.

Pansy sighed and stared at him. "Your question should have been 'is she hot' _not_ 'doesn't she have a name,' God damn it Draco," she said exasperatedly. Draco gave her a pointed look and she sighed.

"Madeline, her name is Madeline," she said.

Draco nodded and gave her a teasing smile. "Do you like her?" he asked. Pansy sighed and shook her head.

"She's fun and nice looking. All I care about right now is having fun...and maybe you should take a leaf out of my book rather than moping after Granger," she pointed out.

Draco sighed. "Pansy I thought we weren't going to talk about this..." he muttered, staring out of the window. Pansy exhaled heavily and she stared at him. "Draco. You need to move on. Or else she is just going to keep breaking your heart and I'm sorry but I am not about to let that happen,"

Draco scoffed and stared at her. "Like you aren't doing the same to the girls that you're sleeping with?" he sneered. Pansy picked up her coffee and glared at him. "I don't lead anyone on,"

Draco opened his mouth to retort and Pansy held up one finger and shook her head. "Don't say Granger didn't. She _knew_ you liked her when it first started," Pansy snapped. Draco ran a hand through his hair and stared at the table. Pansy sighed and rested her hand on top of his.

"Look Draco. I'm not going to pressure you. But...if you feel like you want to try moving on...I'll set you up on a blind date," she said.

Draco snorted and shoved her. "I'm heartbroken, not desperate,"

Pansy smiled. "I got a laugh," she sang, grinning at him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I need to go or I'll be late. Thank you for meeting me Pans, I love you," he said, leaning over the table to press a kiss against her cheek.

"I love you too," she said, pressing her head against his touch.

**3 weeks later**

Hermione sighed, resting her head in her hand as she stared at the screen in front of her. Avoiding each other had become a routine. They had both taken to working from home. Except _now._ Hermione had an email from a client who wanted to meet with them both. Hermione sighed and opened her mobile, dialling the number that she knew all too well.

"Did you see the email that just came through?" she asked. She heard the sigh at the other side of the phone.

"I did. So...are you actually going to join me in the office or are we winging this?" Draco asked, the usual hint of teasing gone from his voice.

"I'll be there in five minutes," she said softly, her heart sinking. She heard the click at the other end of the line and sighed heavily, picking up her bags. Her eyes caught sight of one of Draco's t-shirts that had slipped behind her couch. She ran a hand through her hair and headed out of the door. The walk to the office felt like it took forever. Mostly because her feet were like lead. How was she supposed to face him when their full dynamic had changed? It wasn't like they could just move on...pretend that it had never happened. It was there, hanging over them. She made her way into the office, frowning at Draco's empty chair. She turned around and spotted him in the hallway; he was on the phone, a bright smile across his face.

"Yes, I promise. Don't worry about it. I'll be there," he said, another burst of laughter escaping him at the reply he received. He turned to face Hermione and his smile fell. A sharp pain in her chest. _Was this what heartbreak felt like?_

"Good, you're here," he said, smiling at her. It was forced.

Hermione placed her bag under her desk and ran a hand though her hair.

"I was thinking that we should really go over the papers before tonight," she said, opening her desk and pulling out her files.

Draco nodded. "Here's the key speaking points. I need to leave sharp. So, if we can wrap this dinner up as quickly as possible that would be great," he passed her the document and avoided her eyes. Hermione pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. "It isn't like you to duck out early from a meeting,"

Draco shrugged and looked at her. "I have plans," he said, his response clipped.

Hermione cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows further. "I see," she scanned, the files. She pursed her lips and glanced over at Draco.

"Why are they receiving this discount?" she pointed at the code in question. Draco gave her an incredulous look and tapped the clients name. 'Kamran Arya of Arya Industries'. "You don't recognise that name?"

Hermione shrugged and glanced at him.

"Should I?" she asked, her hands skimming the paper.

Draco shook his head and stared at her.

"It's Parvati Patil's husband. He visited our school with the Beauxbatons. The company they own could bring serious revenue," Draco said pointedly.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Parvati got married?"

Draco shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you care about anyone's life but your own?" he muttered.

Hermione's hand froze on the paper and she glanced at him. "Of course I do," she said softly.

Draco snorted, glancing at the clock. "We should think about leaving," He glanced at Hermione. "Remember to bite your tongue when they mention their product," he said, giving her a warning glare. "They will make us a _lot_ of money,". Hermione's eyes found the paper in front of her and she grimaced. _Divination products_. She should have known this was Parvati's business.

Draco poked her in the side. "A lot of money Granger. Bite your tongue," he warned, standing up and grabbing his coat.

Hermione followed suit. "So what's your plan for finishing early? You know I can't be left alone with them or I will completely cock up our account," Hermione pointed out.

Draco sighed and turned to face her. "You won't," he assured her. They walked in uncomfortable silence for the next few minutes. It only ended when they reached the restaurant.

"Game face Granger," he whispered as he led her to the table. Hermione forced a smile onto her face, heading over to the table and offering her hand to Parvati who knocked her hand aside, pulling her against her for a tight hug.

"Oh Hermione! I just can't believe how stunning you look," Parvati said, with a wide smile.

"And Draco, so handsome!" she cooed, pulling him against her for a hug.

"Now darling, come on. We have business to discuss," Kamran said politely, pressing a hand to his wife's back and smiling at her. Parvati rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away.

"Hush. I haven't seen these two in _forever_ ," she said excitedly. "You two would make such a good looking power couple," she said, sighing heavily and staring at them both. Hermione's smile slipped and she glanced at Draco took a large sip of his firewhiskey.

"We'll leave that to you pair," he said, grinning at them. Parvati flushed under the praise and held Kamran's hand. Hermione smiled and took a sip of her wine. _Draco was always good at seduction._

"You do make a beautiful couple," she acknowledged. Parvati smiled and tilted her head to the side.

"So would you," she said cheekily, her eyes locking onto Draco. Hermione choked on her wine and glanced at Draco who cleared his throat and stared awkwardly back at her.

Parvati sat back in her chair and let out a sigh. "Oh dear, I have made things awkward,"

Kamran sighed and looked at the pair in front of him. "Perhaps we should move on to talk of our business ventures rather than our personal ones," he suggested, giving his wife a sharp look.

Draco nodded. "Excellent. So, if we are looking to expand and source your products both in the UK market and overseas then these are the sorts of figures we are projecting," Draco said, sliding the paper work to Kamran who nodded, his eyebrows furrowed.

"You think that our product could do this well in the European market?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "They buy into all that s,"- she caught Draco's eyes and cleared her throat. "-Stuff," she amended.

Draco pursed his lips and glanced at Kamran. "The art of divination is extremely popular in mainland Europe. There has been a large increase of its use in Schools in Spain and Italy. We think that your products could really benefit those studying Divination. We think that there are markets for this in supply shops across Europe and potentially across the world. Of course, this depends completely upon your ability to market this to the different traditions. Which I am sure you will be more than be able to do," Draco said brightly.

Hermione rolled her eyes, taking another sip from her glass.

Parvati caught the movement and smirked and pulled out her own selection of files. "We have these prototypes in mind. In fact, Hermione you inspired one of them," she said, giving Hermione a cheeky grin. Hermione and Draco scanned the paper and Draco let out a snort of amusement.

 _'Divination for non-believers; opening your mind to a different perspective,'_ his gaze turned to Hermione and he let out an amused laugh.

"You could still use this. Hermione is very much her way or no way," Draco mocked. Parvati tilted her head to the side and smiled.

"I can't believe you two are on first name basis now," she said. Draco flushed, his eyes falling to the paper.

"After all these years working together it becomes habit. Especially when we are out with clients," he said, nodding at her. Parvati smiled.

"Ah, you know. We are friends first," she said brightly.

Hermione arched her eyebrow and Draco kicked her under the table, giving her a warning look. Thankful that the couple were occupied. He glanced at his watch; he was never going to make his date. Not by a long shot. He stood up and smiled.

"Excuse me for two minutes," he said, he gripped Hermione's shoulders and squeezed tightly. "I'll be right back," He left the room and pulled his phone from his pocket, dialling Pansy's number.

"Pans, It's me. I'm at dinner but I can't get away," Draco said. Pansy let out a frustrated sigh.

"Draco come on! You promised you'd try!" Pansy seethed. Draco sighed.

"I know, I know. I will. I just...I can't make tonight Pansy. Please. I promise I won't bail again," he promised. Pansy sighed.

"Okay. But I swear Draco, this is it," she said sharply, before hanging up.

Draco exhaled heavily, heading back to the table. "I'm so sorry, where were we?" he slid into the seat beside Hermione.

Hermione turned to smile at him. "Time to go?" she asked, internally begging him to say no.

Draco shook his head and glanced at her. "Like you said, it isn't like me to walk out in the middle of a business deal," Hermione smiled, her heart soaring and glanced at Parvati.

"So...I'm sure I missed out on some wedding pictures," she said.

Parvati grinned and pulled out her phone. "Muggle ones will have to do," By the end of the dinner even Hermione had to admit that Parvati and Kamran were great company.

Hermione took Draco's extended arm and smiled. "You don't have to walk me home you know,"

Draco shook his head and glanced at her. "It's routine. We have done it every time we have ever bagged a big client. Walking home with coffee," he said, passing her the coffee and grinning. Hermione smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. "Your business plan was impeccable today,"

Draco grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I knew you'd be useless helping market this one so I had to actually use my own brain for once," he joked.

Hermione smiled and squeezed his arm. "You did far better than I would have," Draco laughed and looked at her. "Only because you _hate_ divination,"

Hermione shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. It wasn't long before they were back into their usual routine. One so close to flirting that it made them forget all the awkwardness of the past few weeks.

Hermione leaned back against the door to her flat, turning to face Draco. She licked her lower lip and met his eyes. "Do you want to come in?"

Draco's eyes flickered to hers and he was suddenly all too aware of his heart pounding in his ears. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a step back. It was his own fault, for being overly friendly.

"Hermione...we've covered this...I can't do this," he said, furrowing his eyebrows and turning away from him.

"Draco-," She began, but it was too late, he was already storming away. He couldn't keep doing this. He pulled out his phone and dialled Pansy's number.

"Draco?" her voice was soft, almost as if she had just woken up.

Draco cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "Can you set this up for tomorrow?" he asked.

Pansy's voice suddenly brightened. "Of course! Wait...are you with her? What happened?"

Draco shook his head and ran his tongue over his lips. "Nothing. It's fine," he muttered. Pansy clucked her tongue.

"Do you want to come over?" she asked. Draco stared and the sky and shook his head.

"I'm fine," he insisted. _Alone_ he just wanted to be _alone_.

x-x-x

"I hope you're happy," Pansy sneered, bumping her shoulder against Hermione's.

Hermione scowled, turning to face her. "What have I done this time?"

Pansy ground her teeth together. "You know exactly what you have done!" she sneered.

Hermione rested against the wall behind her and shook her head. She was at a loss; she and Draco weren't even fighting anymore. "Actually, I _don't_ ," she snapped.

Pansy shook her head, her lips curving up in a sneer. "Draco had a date last night that he called off because of _you_ ,"

Hermione shook her head and stared at Pansy. "It was a work meeting," She paused as her brain caught up. "He had a date?"

"Yes. A date that he cancelled because he no doubt wanted to walk you home," Pansy sneered.

Hermione flushed. Draco _had_ walked her home.

She stared at Pansy. "Have you ever thought that maybe he just didn't want to go on a date?"

Pansy scoffed and nodded sarcastically. Hermione had never wanted to punch someone as much as in this moment. "Yeah, that is why he asked me to reschedule. The two should be meeting...around now actually," Pansy said, smirking at Hermione when her face fell.

"You had your chance Granger. Don't dare ruin this for him," Pansy said. Hermione scowled and shook her head.

"I don't believe you!".

Pansy shrugged and stared at her. "You don't have to believe me," she paused brushing a spec of dirt off of her shoulder dismissively. "But, don't expect Draco in the office today,"

Hermione sneered at her and grabbed her coffee from the counter. "Piss off,". She made her way into the office, settling down at her desk. She caught sight of the notice board and froze. _Out for the day. Be back tomorrow._ She leaned back in her chair, gnawing at her lip. Pansy could be lying of course. There could be a number of reasons why Draco wasn't there. Anything at all really. It didn't necessarily have to be because he was on a date. He was probably at the dentist. Yes. That was it. He probably had a dentist appointment or something. Pansy was just messing with her…

x-x-x

A blind date. Draco couldn't believe he was actually going on a blind date. He exhaled heavily, opening the door to the small café. It was completely dead inside so it didn't take him long to spot her. He had no idea _what_ Pansy had been thinking.

"Fuck," he muttered, turning quickly to the exit. There was no way that she would want to see him.

"Stop! Wait" The voice called. Draco froze, turning slowly to face the woman in front of him. _Katie Bell_.

Draco cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I don't know what Pansy was thinking- I'll go," he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Katie gestured back at the table and cleared her throat. "Pansy has paid for everything. It would be rude to let it go to waste," she leaned against the chair and staring at him expectantly.

"You're sure you don't want me to leave?" he asked.

Katie arched her eyebrow and stared at him. "I'm starting to think you are the one who wants me to leave," she teased, sitting down at the table.

Draco sat down and gave an uneasy smile. "Sorry. I just...I thought that I'd be the last person you'd want to see,"

Katie scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm afraid that title goes to Ernie MacMillan," she muttered.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "Ernie MacMillan?"

Katie laughed and glanced at her hands. "It's actually why Pansy wanted to set me up with someone. Ernie and I..." she cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry, this is terrible. Out on a date and I'm already bringing up my Ex,"

Draco who smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. So what happened with you and Ernie?" he asked, taking a sip of his water.

Katie forced a smile and glanced at Draco. "He got a promotion abroad...I wouldn't follow him so...we broke up," she said, shrugging.

Draco nodded and glanced at Katie. "Relationships suck don't they?" he muttered, taking another sip of his water. Katie pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. "And, what about you?" she asked.

Draco smiled and glanced at his hands. "There was no break up as such...she just didn't want commitment and I do," Katie arched an eyebrow and swirled her wine around the glass."And yet the tabloids make _you_ out to be the one with commitment problems. So who is she?" she asked. Draco avoided her eyes and cleared his throat.

"Too soon," Katie said, nodding.

Draco laughed and nodded. "I'm still messed up," he muttered. Katie grinned, ordering them both firewhiskey.

"To being messed up," she said, clinking her glass with his. Draco shook his head, drinking his firewhiskey.

"To being messed up," he echoed.

x-x-x

Hermione closed her eyes and glanced at the television. It had been almost hours since she ran into Pansy. Hours of her agonising over the fact that Draco might have been out on a date. She ran a hand through her hair and glanced at the clock. Eight o clock. She sighed and stood up, pacing the living room. He wouldn't go out on a date. She was sure of it. He wanted to be with _her_ not anyone else. Of course, the night before he didn't exactly seem like he wanted to be with her. She stood up, letting out a frustrated sigh. A bath. A bath would take her mind off of it. She grabbed a bottle of prosecco from the fridge and took a glass. She rolled her shoulders and sighed, making her way to the bathroom. She pursed her lips, scanning the bubble baths on the counter. All gifts from Draco's last trip to his family's chateaux in France. She exhaled, taking the lavender one from the counter and pouring it in. _He couldn't be on a date. He just couldn't be._

x-x-x

Katie laughed, resting her feet on Draco's lap. "Honestly, I couldn't stand it. Constantly leaving the bin lid up. I mean it literally stinks the house out," she grumbled.

Draco laughed and nodded. "Well...what about someone who constantly leaves the lid of the toothpaste off?" Draco asked. _Even though her parents are bloody dentists._

Katie laughed and took another drink of firewhiskey. "Talking about out all his bad habits is a really refreshing change from moping," Katie said.

Draco laughed and nodded. "Knock down their pedestals,"

Katie took a sip of her drink "Knock down their pedestals," she agreed. She glanced at Draco and smiled. "I'm glad Pansy set us up,"

"I never expected you to say that. I'm surprised that you even stayed for ten minutes when you saw who I was. Not after everything," he muttered.

Katie laughed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I won't hold anyone's past against them. _Especially_ someone that a friend dotes on,"

Draco turned to face her in surprise. "A friend who dotes on me?"

Katie nodded and smiled. "Hermione has defended you on more than one occasion. She will not hear a bad worst against you. It was her that convinced me that you had changed," Katie said fondly. Draco blanched, his hand stilling on his drink.

Katie sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. "Plus, you _are_ one of the most eligible bachelors right now and handsome to boot," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Draco laughed and nudged her. "Yeah, you're not too shabby yourself,"

Katie sat up, pursing her lips and turning to face him. "So why not take advantage of this situation?" she asked, meeting his eyes. Draco raised his eyebrows, taking a sip from his firewhiskey.

Katie held up a hand and stared at him. "Hear me out. Look, we are both messed up and hurting. People always say that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. What do you say we give it a try?" she asked, quirking her eyebrow. Draco choked on his drink and coughed a few times. Katie smirked and stood up, pulling him up with her.

Draco ran his tongue over his bottom lip and stared at her. "If either of us has second thoughts we stop ," he said firmly.

Katie nodded. "Agreed," she whispered, before pressing her mouth against his. Draco closed his eyes, pulling her against him as his back hit the bedroom door. He fumbled for the handle, grinning when Katie's hand immediately went for his buckle.

x-x-x

Hermione scowled, adjusting herself in the mirror and taking another sip from her glass. She had bought this corset just before they had called things off and it looked damn good if she did say so herself. She smoothed down the fabric and sighed. _Purple_. It was his favourite colour and she didn't think that she could ever wear it without thinking of him. She fluffed her hair and took a deep breath. Stepping into the fireplace and saying his address firmly. She all but stumbled out of his fireplace at the other end. She glanced around the room, her eyes locking onto the two glasses on the table. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes locking on to the pair of high heels beside the couch. She swallowed the lump in her throat taking a step forward. They had to be heels that she left behind, didn't they? She took another step forward, almost in a trance. She heard footsteps coming from the bedroom and took a few steps back. She had made a huge mistake coming here. She backed away as quietly as she could, cursing when Draco came into sight. He froze, his eyes locking on to her.

He closed the bedroom door behind him. "What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed, stepping into the room. Hermione opened her mouth and stared back at the bedroom. "Do you have someone here?" she asked, her voice filled with hurt.

Draco shook his head and glared at her. "You don't get to ask me that! God damn it Hermione, why do you have to come back here dressed like that? _You_ called things off," he hissed.

"Draco make sure you bring more firewhiskey!" Katie called.

Hermione shoved Draco and shook her head." How could you?"

Draco shook his head, edging her back to fireplace. "Don't! Don't you dare demonise me for trying to move on," he hissed.

Hermione shook her head and stared at him. She could feel bile burning in her throat. The desperate need to lash out. To be cruel "She'll never replace me,"

Draco shook his head, taking a deep breath. "I think you should go," he said, running a hand through his hair. Hermione shook her head, storming towards the fireplace. Draco sighed heavily, grabbing the firewhiskey and heading back towards the room.

"Sorry, where were we?" he asked. Hermione grabbed the floo powder and hissing her own apartments address. She stumbled out of the fireplace, letting out an anguished cry as she sunk to the floor. She took a shaky breath in and lifted a hand to her cheeks which were drenched in tears. She stood up, struggling with the binds of her corset. She pulled it off, launching it into the fire. She let out a sob, snatching Draco's t-shirt from behind the couch. She pulled it on and stumbled through to the bedroom, throwing herself onto the bed and curling into a ball. Draco had never turned her away before...and now it had happened twice in the space of 24 hours. She clutched her chest, letting out another pathetic sob. He had rejected her and it hurt. But, what hurt the most was the fact that he was already starting to move on. Pansy was right. She had fucked it. Completely and totally fucked it.


	4. I won't say I'm in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you so much to itisariddle for being my sensitivity reader for this chapter. I am so nervous to see the response for this chapter but I hope some of you enjoy it- there are still a few chapters left to go.  
> Song rec for this chapter is 'I won't say I'm in love,' from Hercules.
> 
> This chapter touches on some sensitive issues such as character infertility.

Draco sighed, closing the door behind him and turning to smile at Katie.

"Sorry about that," he said softly, his eyes flicking behind him towards the other room. Katie sat up, her eyes alert.

"Are you okay?" she asked, putting down her glass and giving him a concerned look. Draco shrugged and put down the bottle of firewhiskey, searching for some sort of lie that could hide his real feelings. He cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair.

"My ex just showed up and I wasn't really prepared for it," he admitted. Katie stood up, walking towards him.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked softly, her hand brushing his arm. He tried to nod but couldn't. He licked his lower lip, sitting down on the bed and glancing at Katie.

"Please don't leave. I just wasn't ready for it. I'm fine," he said quickly. Only, he wasn't…and they both knew it. He was crushed. Katie sighed, fixing the pillows and switching on the TV.

"Come on. Let's watch some films and slate our ex's," she said, laying back against the quilt. Draco hesitated and Katie shook her head.

"We're just going to talk," she promised. He let out a small sigh of relief and climbed into the bed beside her. Katie smiled and glanced at Draco out of the corner of her eyes.

"Your ex really did a number on you, didn't they?" she asked. Draco nodded. Katie patted the spot next to her.

Draco sat down on the bed, his hand shaking as he reached for his glass. Katie wrapped an arm around him and squeezed his arm. "How long have you two been broken up?"

Draco stared blankly ahead. When he spoke his voice was hoarse. "Five weeks and three days."

Katie bit her lip and tilted her head to the side. "And how long were you dating?"

Draco chewed his lips, tears spilling from his eyes. "We weren't dating. We were sleeping together." He paused, picking at his fingernails. _Just sex._ Hermione had always made that crystal clear _. "_ We'd been sleeping together for a year and a half." Draco bit the inside of his lips and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I think I just want to be alone. I'm sorry for ruining our date,"

Katie stood up and shook her head. "Don't apologise, I had a wonderful night," she picked up her bag and gestured at the living room. "I'll just go get my shoes and I'll be gone,"

Draco nodded, moving to walk her out. Katie paused in the doorway and turned back to face him. "I hope you win her back Draco, you deserve to be happy."

Draco watched as Katie left the room and let out a groan of frustration, knocking a glass off the table. He sighed when the glass shattered and leaned down to pick it up. He flung the shards in the bin and glanced at the clock, wondering if it was too late for a visit. He sighed, picking up a quill and scrawling a quick note. He thumped down on the couch, flicking on the tv. Less than five minutes later Pansy was stepping through the fireplace, dragging Blaise behind her. The pair of them took in the room and Pansy let out a curse, walking into the bedroom. She came back and thumped her hands down on his shoulders. "You had a girl in your bedroom and you still couldn't follow through?"

Blaise swatted her away and grabbed Draco's chin, looking into his eyes. Draco could feel him scratching at the surface, trying to see what had happened. If anyone else had tried Draco would have thrown up his barriers, but Blaise knew him too well to even need to search his mind.

Blaise furrowed his eyebrows, face softening. "You're still in love with her," he said softly. Draco exhaled, staring at the ceiling. _Of course he was._

x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hermione sighed, adjusting the strap on her shoulder as she made her entrance to work. She had taken a few days holiday. To recover from the embarrassment of that night. Of course, it didn't make her feel any better. It had only delayed the inevitable and now she was in the exact same position she would have been in earlier in the week. She paused at the office door. She could hear two voices in the room and she was terrified of the reaction she would get when she entered the room. She was mortified by her actions. Mortified by the words that had left her mouth. Of course, she could try to blame it on the alcohol…but she knew it was all her. The horrible jealous streak that always seemed to rise when she felt threatened. She put her hand on the door handle and entered. She glanced at Draco when she walked into the office. He looked up from the file on his desk and smiled at her. _So he wasn't angry._

"You alright?" he asked softly, giving her an anxious look. Hermione nodded and ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry about before. I know it isn't an excuse but I had been drinking," she said. She was absolutely mortified and she hoped that he knew how sorry she was. Draco forced a smile, his eyes tightening and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just pretend it never happened," he told her, his smile was more like a grimace. Hermione sat down and sighed; she felt like she had just been stabbed in the gut. _Pretend it never happened_. It was awkward, so completely awkward and it was completely her fault. She buried herself in her work, and she was pretty sure Draco was doing the same. She jumped when there was a chapping at the window. Hermione made her way over to open it, allowing a large Bengal Eagle Owl to swoop in. Hermione smiled, placing down some treats and running her hands through the feathers on the eagles back. She untied the scroll from the owl's leg and blinked in surprise. The scroll was in shimmering gold.

"What's that?" Draco asked, appearing at her side. Hermione opened the scroll and smiled when she saw the elegant handwriting.

"It's from Parvati…she and Kamran are throwing a party to celebrate our joint business venture…and to highlight some of their products," Hermione said,

"This is going to be great for business!" he said brightly. Hermione nodded and cleared her throat.

"It's in a month," she said softly. "It says we can bring plus ones if we would like." She glanced at Draco and he shook his head.

"We can't break tradition now. We go stag. Represent our company together," he muttered. Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. Draco flexed his fingers and sighed, making his way back to his desk.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The party was every bit as extravagant as they had thought it would be. She hooked her arm through Draco's and felt her nose tingle at the lack of response. His posture was firm; professional. He hadn't even bothered commenting on her dress. Which, she supposed she deserved. But it still hurt. Hermione grinned, smiling for the paparazzi as they stood next to Kamran and Parvati. They got a couple taken with the men shaking hands and one where Parvati had pulled Hermione into a tight hug. Then another with the girls in their school ties. Then another with _all_ of the Gryffindor girls. Then some of just Draco and Hermione. One with Parvati and Padma with Hermione. Her face hurt from smiling so much. She was almost at breaking point. Draco gripped her arm and smiled at Parvati.

"Excuse us, it's about time for us to have a celebratory drink," he said brightly, steering Hermione towards the bar. Hermione dropped the smile and sighed heavily.

"Oh, thank fuck," she muttered. Draco shook his head and grinned at her.

"She's being nice," he said pointedly. Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I know. We better take a look around. Have a go on some of these products," she said. Draco glanced at her, his eyebrows raised.

"Let's go then," he said, gesturing for her to pick something. Hermione smiled, waving at Parvati who was smiling enthusiastically at them. At first, they tried a magic eight ball that was supposed to give an incredibly accurate response to your questions. Hermione had to admit it was the perfect product for teenagers. They'd love it. They then tried the tarot cards that self shuffled and were warm to the touch if it was the _correct_ card. Hermione laughed and shook her head when the cards kept talking about _prosperous ventures_ for both her and Draco.

"They've charmed that card," Hermione muttered. Draco nudged her and smiled.

"Can't you just admit some of these things might work?" he asked. Hermione smiled when she caught sight of Harry and Ginny at the fortune teller. Hermione scoffed. _Fortune teller. Pah._ She pointed at the next one.

"Magic dust that gives you a second-long flash of your heart's desire?" she asked. Draco cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Not for me, I'll be right back," he said. Hermione chewed her lips and made her way over to the fortune teller.

"Hey guys," she said softly, leaning over Ginny's chair. "How are we doing?"

"Great reading, right?" Ginny asked, nudging Harry's arm with her own.

Hermione laughed and arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, right," she drawled. The fortune-teller grabbed Hermione's arm and gestured for her to sit.

"Your turn," the woman said sharply. Hermione shook her head politely, trying to refuse. But the woman wouldn't take no for an answer. Hermione sighed, taking her seat. The woman held Hermione's hand and smiled.

"You are tense. Close your eyes," she said

"I see a bubble bath collection. _They look, French. Expensive._ " The woman began. Hermione froze a little; _the bubble bath Draco had gotten her._ "You're standing in a field, an expensive looking manor in the background. There are lilies and _The Malfoy's Scottish Manor in the Clyde Valley_. Hermione had to admit it. She was doing well. It was creeping her out.

"There is a girl in your lap. Three or four. _A daughter,_ " Just like that the illusion was shattered. It felt like someone had driven a knife into her chest. Hermione stood up clearing her throat and snatching her hand from the woman's.

"You might have some people in here fooled but I know exactly what you are _a fucking fraud,"_ Hermione hissed, she scraped her chair back across the floor and knocked a glass off the table where it landed with a large crash. Hermione felt everyone's eyes on her and she shook her head, making her way outside. She leaned over the balcony, staring out at the water in front of her. She exhaled heavily when she felt a presence next to her.

"Do you want to talk about what that was in there?" Harry asked, wrapping his jacket around her arms and frowning. Hermione shrugged, making her way down the stairs, towards the lake.

"You know I hate divination," she said offhandedly. Harry shook his head, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the bench.

"That was more than that Hermione and you know it. _Talk to me_ ," he said softly. Hermione sighed, blinking back tears before turning to look at Harry.

"It's nothing. It's just something she said," she muttered. Harry arched an eyebrow and Hermione sighed.

"She said that she saw a daughter in my future," Hermione said softly. Harry grinned and looked at her.

"And what is wrong with that? Always imagined that you'd have a son?" he teased. Hermione's nose prickled and she blinked back tears, shaking her head. Harry quickly realised that there was something wrong and he turned to face her, scanning her features.

"You aren't?" He asked, making a gesture at her stomach. This only made her cry harder. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and pulled her against him.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he whispered. Hermione closed her eyes and cleared her throat.

"There is no way there can be anything like that in my future. I'm infertile," she said softly. It was the first time she had admitted this to anyone. She cleared her throat and glanced at Harry. He pulled back and glanced at his best friend.

"I'm sure that's not true. There are plenty of things you could try. Potions, spells, muggle IVF," he said, he was trying to be helpful and god she loved him for it. She shook her head and ran her tongue over her teeth.

"Not for me. I've spoken to healers and muggle doctors. I've had about a million tests done Harry. There is no way I'll ever carry children," she said bitterly. Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione and pursed his lips, blinking back his own tears.

"How does this happen?" He asked. Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Too much scar tissue," she muttered, throwing a pebble into the lake and frowning as it plopped into the water. _How unsatisfying._ She blinked when she felt Harry's arms wrap around her again, tighter this time.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered softly. Hermione laughed and shook her head.

"I'm fine. I'm just being stupid. I wasn't even sure I wanted kids. Not right away anyway. Now I guess my mind is made up for me," she said softly. Harry glanced back at the party.

"Does he know?" He asked. Hermione stiffened and she shook her head.

"Of course not! And, I am not going to tell him," she muttered. Harry gaped at her and shook his head.

"Hermione, he has every right to know _why_ you ended things."

Hermione shook her head and stared at Harry.

"No. He doesn't. Harry, there is a reason I haven't told him. Look, when you and Ginny first got pregnant with the twins you didn't hear him. All he kept talking about was _how lucky_ you and Ginny were to have twins. How he couldn't wait to start having kids. _Kids. Plural_. And don't give me the bullshit _you could always adopt_. Because this is Draco we're talking about. It would have been a massive thing for him to have half-blood children. You can't tell me you think that he would be happy to give up his chance to have a Malfoy heir?" Hermione scoffed. Harry shook his head and stared at Hermione blankly.

"Hermione, I love you but I don't think you get to make that choice for him…and everything your saying is so harsh. You know that blood doesn't matter to him anymore," Harry protested. Hermione shook her head.

"Harry, in the nicest way possible it has nothing to do with you. It doesn't even have anything to do with him. I have made my decision and I expect you to respect it. He will get over it, over me," _s_ he said, taking Harry's hand in her own. Harry pursed his lips and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his side, his hand tangling in her hair.

"God Hermione, you can't keep sacrificing your own happiness for other people," he muttered. Hermione closed her eyes, letting a few stray tears slip out of them.

x-x-x-x

Pansy pursed her lips, her hands freezing on Daphne's buttons. She could hear Granger walking away behind her and she frowned, moving to stand up.

Daphne sat up, letting out a huff of indignation before smoothing down the picnic blanket. "Pansy, sit back down come on! Where are you going?"

Pansy met her eyes and shook her head gesturing at the party. "I need to find Draco! I've been pushing him towards someone else and all this time…" she trailed off and bit her lower lip.

Daphne grabbed her hand and shook her head. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare do this to her."

Pansy tugged her hand from Daphne's and scowled, standing up and heading towards the party. "He's my best friend!"

Daphne sat up and shook her head, buttoning her top. "If you do this you are not who I thought you were." Pansy froze in her tracks, turning to look at Daphne who was pursing her lips, giving her a disapproving look. Pansy shook her head and continued towards the party. She spotted Draco in the crowd, a tight smile on his face and moved to head towards him. But, her eyes fell on Hermione and she found her feet dragging her towards the girl. She noticed her heading into the toilets and squared her shoulders, schooling her features before stepping inside and resting against the sink.

x-x-x

Hermione sat on the lid of the toilet, staring at her shoes. Her hands were still shaking and she was fighting the bile that was threatening to rise. She rested her head against the side of the cubicle and let out a shaky breath. It had been so long since she had imagined a future. Now thanks to the comments of that _psychic_ she was left mourning what would never be. She placed a hand over her heart and blinked away the tears that were forming. She swiped her hands across her face and sighed, opening the door and stepping out into the foyer. She froze when she saw Pansy standing there, _waiting for her._ Hermione rolled her eyes and made her way over to the sink, splashing her face. She caught sight of Pansy watching her in the mirror and she held the sink for support. "Can we bypass this today?"

"I always thought that you were a bitch for messing with him. I didn't realise that you were trying to protect him," Pansy mumbled, looking a little guilty. "I would never have pushed him to date Katie if I had known."

Hermione rolled her eyes and met Pansy's eyes in the mirror. "What are you talking about?"

Pansy crossed her arms over her chest, watching her. "I overheard your chat with Potter."

Hermione froze, straightening her spine and gripping the sink. She took a deep breath "And what? You thought you'd come in here to rub salt in the wound?"

Pansy blinked in surprise and shook her head, taking a step towards Hermione. "I came to see if you were okay."

Hermione tightened her grip on the sink, her knuckles turning white. _Even worse. Pity._

Hermione clenched her jaw and turned to face Pansy. She raised her eyebrows and leaned back against the sink. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Pansy frowned. "Granger, you don't need to put up a front-"

Hermione ground her teeth together and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh piss off Pansy."

Pansy licked her lower lip. "It wouldn't matter to him you know. He's been in love with you for years."

Hermione scoffed and shook her head trying to ignore the jolt of hope that shot through her "Maybe he _was_ in love with me. He certainly isn't now."

Pansy's lips quirked at the corners and she gave Hermione a sad smile. "You can't honestly believe that."

Hermione avoided her eyes, trying not to think about _that_ night.

It was almost as if Pansy could read her mind. "They didn't sleep together." The words jolted her eyes back to Pansy.

Pansy smirked and nodded her head. "Apparently someone else was on his mind. He spent the rest of the night with Blaise and I,"

Hermione ran her tongue over her lower lip, avoiding her eyes.

Pansy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the wall behind her. "How long have you been in love with him?"

Hermione pursed her lips and avoided her eyes. _She wouldn't say it._ Pansy stepped forward, pulling Hermione against her in a tight hug. It was only then that Hermione realised that she was crying.

"You've got to talk to him," Pansy whispered.

Hermione shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I can't. Not after everything. Things are better this way,"

x-x-x


	5. You’re my non-negotiable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there is quite a lot going on in this chapter and I just hope that you guys like it. Still two chapters to go.

Draco frowned, watching as Pansy disappeared into the toilets after Hermione. _What the hell was she up to now?_ He moved to follow after them when Blaise stepped into his path, grinning with excitement.

"Have you seen some of this? Luna and I are determined to get some of this stuff for the wedding. That psychic is a hoot!" Blaise said, looping his arm through Draco's. "Let's go get a drink at the bar! They've got a cocktail that is said to make you relive your best moment,"

Draco laughed, trying to shrug him off but Blaise's excitement was contagious. He noticed Luna talking animatedly with the psychic.

Draco nodded in the direction of the pair and grinned. "That looks animated,"

Blaise nodded and met Draco's eyes. "She's the psychic that we met in Ireland. Luna loves her,"

Draco frowned. Hermione certainly didn't like the woman. He glanced back towards the toilets, keeping his eyes peeled for her coming out.

Blaise sighed and rested his hands on Draco's shoulder. He took a deep breath. "You Can't keep doing this. You need to talk to her,"

Draco shook his head downing the glass in his hand. "It isn't that easy,"

Blaise exhaled slowly, watching Draco. "I'm not sure I understand,"

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "She doesn't _want_ to talk to me,"

Blaise sighed. "Right, what are you having to drink?"

Draco sighed gesturing at Blaise's glass. He slammed the drink back when it was passed into his hand. Blaise laughed wrapping his arm around his best friend's shoulders. "Go talk to her,"

Xxx

Hermione sighed closing the bedroom door behind her. It had been a long night and she wanted nothing more than to relax in a bath. She still had some of the expensive bubble bath that Draco bought her left over. She made her way to the bathroom, frowning when she saw the floo light up.

She stepped into her sitting room and froze when she saw the all too familiar blond hair. "Draco? What are you doing here?"

"You left the party in a hurry,"

Hermione shifted tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. She avoided his eyes and instead focussed on a loose thread on the edge of a couch. "I wasn't feeling very well,"

Draco pursed his lips and gave her a look. "Hmm,"

"Did you need something?" She asked distracting herself by picking up the loose thread.

Draco sat on the edge of her armchair and cleared his throat. "We need to talk,"

Hermione's hand stilled and she stared at the thread, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't she cleared her throat and met his eyes. "About?"

Draco curled his hands around his waist and glanced at the ceiling as if he were searching for the right words. Hermione watched, mesmerised as the muscles in his jaw clenched. "We need to talk about why you ended things," he said, his eyes locking with her own. Hermione froze. _Pansy had told him_. Hermione closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. She clutched her side, trying to ignore the stabbing feeling, trying to ignore the way her lungs seemed to be shrinking. She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself.

When she opened her eyes Draco was crouched in front of her, cupping her face. "You alright, love?" He asked.

Hermione blinked away the tears and stood up, pulling away from him. She didn't trust herself not to melt into his touch. "Look, I don't know what Pansy told you-,"

Draco blinked in confusion "What has Pansy got to do with this? Did she say something to you earlier? Is that why you're upset?" His eyes were searching hers, looking for something to hold onto.

Hermione exhaled heavily realising her mistake. _He didn't know_. Pansy hadn't told him. But now, now he knew something was wrong. She was going to have to tell him. She didn't know what scared her more. The thought that he would comfort her or the thought that he would walk away.

"Hermione if she has done something to hurt you…" his voice trailed off and he gnawed on the corner of his bottom lip, eyes giving a dark flicker.

Hermione shook her head "She didn't do anything," her hands found the loose string from earlier and she picked at it again, trying to distract herself.

Draco shook his head "Don't lie to me! You were having a fucking panic attack! What did she do?" He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated.

Hermione pursed her lips and gestured at the couch. "You need to sit down,"

Draco sat down on the edge of the couch reluctantly, his eyebrows furrowed.

Hermione sat down next to him and placed her hands on her knees to stop the shaking that was threatening to start. "I owe you an explanation. I ended things poorly," she took a deep breath and met his eyes "I know that you've always wanted kids,"

Draco's eyes flickered to her stomach, the slightest flash of hope on his face.

Hermione felt her heart clench. She thought it might shatter. "I knew that I could never give that to you," she whispered, biting her lip and staring at the corner of the ceiling "So, I pushed you away. Tried to make sure neither of us got attached because _this. Us._ We could never last,"

Draco furrowed his eyebrows and stared at her. "I'm not sure I understand,"

Hermione fought against her quivering lip and forced the words out "I can't give you everything you want Draco. I'm infertile. I will never be able to carry kids,"

She felt Draco freeze next to her and glanced to the side. She expected a number of expressions to be on her face but one that she wasn't expecting to see was rage. He looked furious. He placed his hands on either side of her face and turned her gently towards him, locking his eyes on hers. "You are telling me that the reason you called it off is because you can't have kids?" He asked slowly. Hermione nodded, frowning at him. He ran his eyes over her face and shook his head "Are you mental?"

Hermione let out a splutter and met his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Draco ran his tongue over his teeth and shook his head. "Why on earth would that matter to me? I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since before we even got together and you think that I care that you can't carry children? Do you think so little of me?" He asked, resting his forehead against hers. Hermione bit her lip, her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to hold it together. He ran his hands through her hair and pressed his lips against hers softly. Hermione closed her eyes, relishing the feel of her forehead against his. She felt him wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"We have so many options, love. We can adopt," he whispered. Just like that his gentle comforting made her heart freeze. _This_. This had been the conversation she was dreading. She licked her lower lip and ran a hand through her hair.

"That's the thing. I'm not even sure if I want kids," she said, pulling away from him.

Draco's hands froze in midair and he furrowed his eyebrows, dropping them to his side. "Oh,"

Hermione glanced at him, taking in the crestfallen look on his face. She wrapped her hands around her stomach and shrugged. "Yeah, oh," Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and gestured at the floo. "I'd like you to leave now,"

Draco glanced at her, his mouth falling open. " _Hermione,"_ Her name was like a plea from his lips. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Just go,"

Draco clenched his jaw, walking towards the floo and grabbing floo powder. He turned towards her, eyes glistening, ready to speak again.

Hermione held her hand up and shook her head. "I can't do this right now Draco. I need you to leave," she glanced at her feet, waiting till the floo lit the room up in a vibrant green before she would look back at the fire. She cradled her stomach and let out a small sob. _She had told him. She had finally told him._

Xxx

Hermione was avoiding him. It was getting beyond ridiculous. Every time he came into work she had scheduled a meeting with a client or was on a research trip. Every time he tried to contact her at home she was unavailable. She had even taken her floo of the grid for a few days. It was getting unbearable. He had tried turning up at her house only to find the door had a silencing charm on it. Draco sighed, throwing himself down on his couch and scowling. He lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

Pansy found him in the same position, almost an hour later. "Draco?" She raised her eyebrows at him when he turned to face her "What the fuck are you doing?"

He pursed his lips and swung his legs off the couch, turning to face Pansy. "So how long have you known?" He asked. Pansy froze and it was all the confirmation that he needed. He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I knew it,"

Pansy crossed her arms over her chest. "Knew what?"

Draco kicked his feet up on the coffee table and sighed. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. I spoke to Hermione,"

Pansy sat on the edge of the couch and met his eyes. "Are you back together?" Her voice was slow and tentative.

Draco shook his head. "She threw me out,"

Pansy whirled to face him and arched an eyebrow. "What did you do?" She asked. Draco shifted in his seat and mumbled " _nothing,"_

Pansy pursed her lips and glanced at him. "Tell me what happened,"

Draco pursed his lips and told her the story, frowning when she began hitting him with a cushion. "Pansy, what the fuck?" He held up his hands to defend his face.

Pansy let out a groan "YOU. MADE. IT. ABOUT. YOU," she snapped, annunciating each word with another slam of the pillow.

"She expected me to handle all of that information in less than a minute! I couldn't help my reaction," he muttered. "I was trying to be supportive,"

Pansy glowered at him, thumping him with the pillow again. "Do you realise how hard that conversation was for her?"

Draco but his lower lip and glanced at his hands. "What am I supposed to do? She doesn't want to talk to me,"

Pansy pressed her hand against her temple and shook her head. "If you don't know what you're supposed to do then I don't know how I'm supposed to help you,"

Xxx

Hermione flexed her hand, reaching for her wine glass and smiling politely at Mr Hinshel. She could feel Draco watched her from across the table. She licked her lower lip and took a sip of the wine, trying to slow her heart rate.

"Where do you see your company going over the next few years," Mr Hinshel asked, glancing between the pair.

Hermione smiled, running a hand through her hair. "We've just got ourselves involved with some fantastic new ventures. We're hoping to continue expanding sales for these and eventually I think we should be able to help these clients tap into the international market," she glanced at Draco and smiled.

He was already staring at her. He nodded in agreement and maintained eye contact. "I like to think we're both completely invested in working towards a shared vision for our future,"

Hermione flushed, avoiding his eyes and smiling at Mr Hinshel who nodded and glanced at the portfolio in his hands.

"So, these are the products that you think my store could stock?" He asked.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically and pointed at some of the key products. "It's a line of beauty products by a new self starter. The client has created a set of spells that go with easy of the products that would make them great for preteen sleepovers," she said.

Draco leaned forward and gestured at some of the products. "These facemasks are excellent I've used some of the range myself,"

Mr Hinshel nodded and skimmed the document, he held up his pen and gestured at the portfolio. "May I?" Hermione nodded and glanced at Draco. _They were crushing it._ She grinned, taking another sip of wine and watching as Draco pointed out some more of their most promising client products. Things had been strained between them the past week. He had been trying to make contact since she kicked him out of her flat. This was the first meeting that they'd had since and she didn't think she would be able to avoid him after this.

She bit her lip, glancing at the dessert menu. She picked it up and nodded "Should we?"

Hinshel nodded, eyes lighting up. "Oh, I love rhubarb crumble,"

Xxx

Hermione stood up, shaking Hinshel's hand and smiling. "Thank you,"

Draco followed suit and grinned. "Hope to hear from you soon,"

He smiled, placing his hand on the base of Hermione's back. She froze slightly and turned to face him. Draco gestured through the door, following after her. Hermione turned to face him, chewing on the inside of her lip and ready to make some form of excuse to leave.

Draco reached out, taking her hand. "Don't try and run out on me now Granger. We should celebrate how well tonight went," he said, gesturing at the bar behind them.

Hermione cleared her throat and nodded. "Okay, one drink,"

Of course, one drink had turned into two and that had turned into eight. The pair were nestled up the back of the bar, talking about some of their past ventures. Thankfully, Draco had managed to completely avoid bringing up their conversation from the other night. Something Hermione would be eternally grateful for. She suspected it was deliberate. He had been watching her carefully all night, as if he were terrified she was going to run. Although, now she was watching him, chin rested on her hand and smiled, watching as Draco talked animatedly about Blaise and Luna's upcoming wedding.

Hermione smiled and took another sip of her drink. "I still don't know which of them I am more excited to see,"

Draco laughed and nodded in agreement. "It will be the most amazing wedding of the century,"

Xxx

They were right of course. Both Blaise and Luna had gone for extravagant outfits. Blaise was standing in a gold suit that looked like it was alight and Luna was in a silver dress that seemed to glow. They looked like the sun and moon. Hermione smirked, meeting Draco's eyes over the altar. The grin he gave her made her stomach flip. She stared at her feet, trying to hide a smile. She watched as Luna smiled brightly, clasping her hand around Blaise's wrist as he did the same to her. Hermione swallowed a lump in her throat and blinked away tears as she watched the officiant wrap a piece of string around their hands.

The officiant gestured at Draco and Hermione and nodded. "If the witnesses could raise their wands and perform the binding handfasting charm,"

Hermione raised her wand and grinned at the pair as her wand and Draco's lit up the string binding their hands. The string glowed a blinding white before dissolving. Hermione bit her lip watching as the pair shared a blissful kiss. She met Draco's eyes and smiled, taking his arm as they followed after the newly married couple. They sat at the table and Hermione busied herself with focussing on the meal. She had let her guard down again today, sharing smiles with Draco at a wedding was just too close to how they used to act.

Hermione tightened her grip on her wine glass, heart clenching as she watched Blaise and Luna share a kiss. It was almost time for the speeches. She smiled at Draco as he passed trying to ignore the way her stomach flipped. She hated the wizarding layout for head's tables. In a muggle wedding she would be able to avoid looking at him. Wizards preferred a round head's table. Which meant Hermione couldn't help but look at him. She had spent most of the meal staring at her plate or champagne flute, trying to avoid his eyes. Now it was impossible. He stood up, and the room seemed to silence without him even needing to make a sound. She watched him carefully, eyebrows furrowed as she took in his stance. He was made for presenting. Standing in front of a large group never seemed to phase him.

Draco smiled, clapping the Blaise's back and grinning at the crowd. "When Blaise called me to let me know he was planning on proposing to Luna I was thrilled. I had never seen him more happy. He was all set, ready to propose when they went on their trip to Ireland. Instead Luna had decided she was proposing to him on the leap day," Draco gave Luna a fond smile and glanced around the tables. "The pair had ended up proposing to each other at the exact same time. If that doesn't show that this pair were made for each other then I don't know what does,"

He smiled, meeting Hermione's eyes. Her stomach flipped. She swirled the wine around and took a large sip.

Xxx

If there was one part of the wedding Hermione was dreading it was the first dance...because immediately following that she was going to have to dance with Draco. Her hands were shaking at the thought. So, she was currently hiding out in the bathroom, trying to avoid awkward conversations. It didn't work out to well, especially when she had come out of her cubicle to find Narcissa Malfoy lounging against the sinks. It looked so unnatural that Hermione had froze in her tracks.

Narcissa straightened up, clasping her hands in front of her. "Hermione," she said softly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you,"

Hermione took a step forward, clenching her bag in her hand. "Narcissa,"

Narcissa glanced at her and furrowed her eyebrows. "I haven't seen you in a while,"

Hermione glanced at her feet and cleared her throat. "I didn't think you'd want to see me,"

Narcissa pursed her lips and cleared her throat. "So, it's over then?"

Hermione nodded stiffly, her spine straightening.

Narcissa blinked and glanced at her hands. "I see," she glanced at Hermione "I hope that you know that you are always welcome in my home, Hermione,"

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat, fighting the urge to hug the woman in front of her. How many holidays had she spent with the Malfoy's in their home in the Clydesdale?

Narcissa turned to leave the room. "You look beautiful Hermione," she said softly.

Hermione held onto the sink and bit her lip, fighting the urge to cry. She cleared her throat and made her way back to the table, just in time to hear the cheers beginning for Blaise and Luna's first dance. She smiled, watching as the pair started twirling in a complicated ritual.

"I am not dancing like that," Draco whispered, joining her at the edge of the dancefloor. Hermione jumped a little before turning to face him. "Damn. Now our full dance will be thrown out of sync,"

Draco chuckled and glanced at the toilets. "Did my mother accost you in the toilets?"

Hermione chewed her lower lip and nodded.

Draco frowned and sighed. "I'm sorry. She just misses you,"

Hermione nodded, watching as Luna twirled in a circle, waving her hands in the air. "I miss her too,"

Draco held out his hand and gestured at dancefloor. "I think this is our cue," he said, gesturing at Blaise and Luna who were grinning at them. Hermione took his hand and smiled.

Draco licked his lower lip, pulling her toward him. "I love you, you know," he placed his hands on the small of her back as they swayed in time to the music, almost everyone else in the room seemed to fade into the background. "I love you more than anything. I understand why you broke up with me and I love you for it. But, the most important thing I have is you,"

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to ignore the way blood was threatening to rush to her face. She clenched her jaw "So, now you don't want kids?"

Draco threaded one of his hands through her hair and he met her eyes "Not if you don't want to. You're my non-negotiable Granger. _I love you_ ,"

Hermione searched his eyes and tried to ignore the way her stomach flipped. "I love you too,"

Just like that, the dam broke and whatever semblance of self restraint they had been holding onto for the past couple of months had fallen apart. Her resolve was completely gone and she was pulling him against her, crushing his mouth against her own. Draco's hand tightened in her curls as he pulled her against him. Then the clapping began and Hermione suddenly remembered just where they were. She pulled back and met Draco's eyes He grinned at her,

Hermione squeezed his hand and gestured at the exit. "We still have a lot of talking to do," she whispered.

Draco nodded "Tonight" he promised.

Hermione glanced around the room, taking in Pansy and Ginny clapping and elbowing one another. She buried her head in Draco's chest, hiding her face.

"My mother looks pleased," Draco whispered. Hermione let out a half sob, leaning up to kiss him again. When they pulled apart Blaise and Luna were smirking at them. Big, shit eating grins that had Hermione flushing. "I'm so happy you're back together. Your auras are always so much brighter when you are together," Luna said brightly.

Blaise laughed, taking in Hermione's sceptical gaze and tugged her against him for a hug. "Imagine stealing our limelight,"

Hermione scoffed and shook her head "Like we could,"

Blaise grinned, pulling Luna against him and wrapped his arms around her waist. "We're going to sneak off soon. Our honeymoon starts now. First stop, Romania,"

Hermione arched an eyebrow and glanced at Luna who was grinning.

"We're going to discover some new species while we're on our honeymoon," she said brightly. Draco laughed and nodded. "I'm sure you will,"

Hermione bit her lip, pacing around her flat and waiting for Draco to come over. She had never been so nervous. She heard the floo roar to life and she turned to face him quickly, her cheeks flaming. He was still dressed in the suit from the wedding. Hermione crossed her arms over her stomach, cursing herself for changing out of her dress. Instead, she was standing in her ridiculous muggle pyjamas. Ones with Stitch all over them. Draco cupped her face in his hands, pulling her against him for another kiss. Hermione groaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Draco's hands moved to her arse, and he pulled her legs around his waist. Hermione let out a gasp and pulled away from him, looking down at him. "We need to talk first,"

She hated herself for saying it.

Draco sighed, resting his head against hers. He nodded. "Let's talk," he set her legs down gently and sat in the armchair opposite her. Hermione sat down and met his eyes, flushing under his gaze.

Draco licked his lower lip and glanced at his hands. "Right, Granger. We need to talk so that I can get back to kissing you,"

Hermione scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you be serious?"

Draco stood up and let out a laugh. "What is there to talk about? I love you! You love me. How much simpler can this get?" he asked.

Hermione closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. "Draco. You say you want to be together. You say that you don't mind that I don't want kids. But, I don't want you to grow to resent me,"

Draco pursed his lips and shook his head. "I've told you already. _You_ are my non-negotiable. There isn't any version of this life where I don't see myself with you. You're it for me. Kids, no kids. I don't give a shit. I just want to be with you. I have wanted to be with you for years," he ran a hand through his hair and stared at her. "I'm going to marry you one day Hermione Granger. I don't need kids in the equation to be happy with you,"

Hermione pursed her lips, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. She stood up, taking a step towards him. "You can't know that,"

Draco met her eyes and nodded. "Yes, yes I can! You're it for me Granger. Now get over here and kiss me," he demanded.

Hermione searched his eyes, her eyebrows furrowed before she threw herself into his arms, pressing her mouth against his. Draco let out a soft groan, tangling her hands in her hair. He lifted her up, making his way into her room.

Hermione dug her hands into his shoulders. "I missed you so much," she whispered.

Draco rested his head against hers and he nodded. "I missed you too,"


End file.
